I got a 21" Dell LCD monitor and a 44" LG HDTV. Both have HDMI and VGA inputs.

VGA or HDMI? What should I use for the monitor? What should I use for the TV?

I'm asking this as I just found my brilliant Dell monitor along with the official 360 VGA cable, tried it and it looks similar to HDMI. I've also tried comparing screenshots of VGA and HDMI outputs and they look similar to me. The only drawback with using HDMI is I have to do the AV trick, which is to video by HDMI but audio using the composite jacks of the provided AV cable. This produces some lag. I haven't tried it with the VGA and I won't be able to since the audio jacks come alongside the VGA connector.

Thanks

I also understand that HDMI is digital, but according to what I've read, it isn't necessarily better.

Hmmm, you probably won't be able to see the difference on the monitor if you use HDMI so might as well use the VGA cable, Use the HDMI cable for the TV though, HDMI looks A LOT better then any analog output. Some people can't tell the difference but the colors are much better on HDMI then component or any other type of analog connection.

with a HDMi cable You can actually play games with sound you must do someting but i forget what i had the same problem

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One more thing: With both HDMI and VGA, I'm using external sound system. For HDMI config, I use the AV cable, take out the shell of the connector so it can fit snugly above the HDMI cable. This introduces slight lag i.e. there's little delay when you do free roaming on horse in Red Dead Redemption. The sound from the TV is the one that's spot on.

For the VGA cable, since the audio jacks come with the cable, there's no way to compare it.

Also this brings up another concern: if I use the HDMI+A config, since the video output is digital, is there a conversion taking place for the sound via composite AV cable?

most modern ( since 2005 ) video card come with two dvi connector, so i believe you should be asking between dvi, vga and hdmi for your monitor and between vga and hdmi for your tv. Unless you are using an integrated graphic processor (IGP), then be warned that most IGP can't do dual monitor, meaning that you can only send picture at one of the two display.

as for the sound, the signal has to be analog in order to be amplified and sent to the speakers, so it means that at some point or at another a conversion will be made. If your sound system supports digital input and your computer has a digital output then go for it. But I'm going to suppose that you have a low end computer and recommend you to plug the analog audio out to your speakers, because, even if your sound system has a digital in if you use the hdmi to send the sound digitally to your tv then hook your tv to your amplifier, it means that you're going to have your tv on if you want to listen to music even if you're just working on your monitor.

Edit: sry, misread. HDMI for both since it's hot swappable. Use Optical for sound if possible, otherwise you'll have to change your sound input every time and your monitor don't support 5.1 audio output.

most modern ( since 2005 ) video card come with two dvi connector, so i believe you should be asking between dvi, vga and hdmi for your monitor and between vga and hdmi for your tv. Unless you are using an integrated graphic processor (IGP), then be warned that most IGP can't do dual monitor, meaning that you can only send picture at one of the two display.

as for the sound, the signal has to be analog in order to be amplified and sent to the speakers, so it means that at some point or at another a conversion will be made. If your sound system supports digital input and your computer has a digital output then go for it. But I'm going to suppose that you have a low end computer and recommend you to plug the analog audio out to your speakers, because, even if your sound system has a digital in if you use the hdmi to send the sound digitally to your tv then hook your tv to your amplifier, it means that you're going to have your tv on if you want to listen to music even if you're just working on your monitor.

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I posted this in the Xbox 360 section so clearly, I'm asking about VGA and HDMI connections from 360 to TV/monitor. Also, there's no DVI cable for the 360 and before you say "where's component cables", I don't have them. The 4GB slim 360 only has composite.

with a HDMi cable You can actually play games with sound you must do someting but i forget what i had the same problem

Click to expand...

One more thing: With both HDMI and VGA, I'm using external sound system. For HDMI config, I use the AV cable, take out the shell of the connector so it can fit snugly above the HDMI cable. This introduces slight lag i.e. there's little delay when you do free roaming on horse in Red Dead Redemption. The sound from the TV is the one that's spot on.

For the VGA cable, since the audio jacks come with the cable, there's no way to compare it.

Also this brings up another concern: if I use the HDMI+A config, since the video output is digital, is there a conversion taking place for the sound via composite AV cable?

Click to expand...

Yes there is. Connect the audio cables to a sound system and see if there's lag. -_-

Anyway
For the PC use DVi or VGA. They support multiple resolutions, some higher than will be recognised over an HDMI port.
For the Xbox HDMI is the best and you'll just have to figure out your sound setup yourself. Does your monitor possibly have a line out port for the HDMI sound?

I prefer HDMI. If you take a regular composite cable, and take a knife and pop off the shelling, it'll work very well as a external audio wire. Here's a video, but I recommend wedging a butter knife instead of hitting it.

My Elite came with a smaller connector which goes from the video connector to a box with composite audio outs on it. Maybe they added it later because people were annoyed about it. They made the connector huge purposely to sell that little audio connector.

Yes there is. Connect the audio cables to a sound system and see if there's lag. -_-
Well what I meant was it's not the same as the HDMI setup, where the audio comes out of the TV AND the external sound system. With the VGA setup, I will either connect the audio jacks to the TV or to the sound system so no easy comparison. Actually, the video that Devin just posted is the method that I use to be able to use my 5.1 speakers with the 360 using the HDMI setup. I have the HDMI and the AV connector with the shell taken off hooked up to my slim 360. Like I said before, when the audio outputs from the TV (via HDMI) and the sound system (via AV cable) are compared, there is slight lag. There's a slight delay on the sound system.

QUOTE(Jamstruth @ May 23 2011, 06:53 PM) My Elite came with a smaller connector which goes from the video connector to a box with composite audio outs on it. Maybe they added it later because people were annoyed about it. They made the connector huge purposely to sell that little audio connector.

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I got the 4GB slim 360 and the AV cable shell has this little nub that purposely covers the HDMI slot. That's why I had to take off the shell of that too. The case is smaller than the original ones but it won't allow me to connect a HDMI cable because of the nub.